Washing-machine for beets, &amp; c.



L. HIRT.

WASHING MACHINE FUR BEETS, &c. (Application filed June 2, 1899.)

(No M odl.) a Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 654,793. Patented m s| ,"'|900.

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No. 654,793., Patented July 3|, I900. L. HIRT.

' WASHING MACHINE Fun BEETS, &c.

Applicasion filed June 2, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

ma uukmsvzrzas co. FHOTO-LITMQ, WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 654,793. Patented July 3|, I900.

WASHING MACHINE FOB BEETS, 8w. (Application filed June 2, 1899.)

{No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG HIRT, OF GREVENBROIGH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MASOHINENFABRIK GREVENBROICH, OF SAME PLACE.

WASHING-.MACHINE FOR BEETS, 81.0.

srncrrrcnrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,793, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed June 2, 1899. Serial No. 719,066. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. LUDWIG HIR'i, a subj ect of the King of Prussia, German Emperor,

and a resident of Grevenbroich, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Washing- Machines for Beets and other Tuber-Like Products, of which the following is a specifia cation.

This invention relates to an apparatus designed to free beet-roots and other tuber-like products from dirt by Washing and to remove therefrom this dirt and any other heavy foreign bodies, and to finally remove the beetroots or other tuber-like products automatically from the apparatus.

It is especially adapted to the washing of beet-roots in sugar manufacture.

The apparatus is illustrated in the accomp'anying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section. Fig.2

is a side view. Fig. 3 is an end View from driving-gear side. Fig. 4 is an end view from opj posite side. Fig. 5 is cross-section according to line 5 5, Fig. 1.

device, to be hereinafter described.

The apparatus consists, as shown in the ac.

pendicular above, tapering inward below, and

gradually acquiring a horizontal direction at the bottom. The entire vessel A consists of two separate compartments or divisions A and A Compartment A has a bottom D, inclined in the direction of its length or axis, and aperforated'horizontal curved bottom E. At the end B of this compartment and at its bottom there is a longitudinally-projecting chest G, which is connected by the opening F with the space I between the bottoms D and E. This chest or compartment G has in its bottom an orifice H, which is closed or controlled by the disk or single puppet-valvej, the axial spindle or stem of which goes through a suitable stuffing-box in the cover of the chest G. This valve can be opened "and closed Fig. 6 is {cross-section according to line 6 6, Fig. 1. .Figs. 7 and 8- are enlarged detail views of portions of the bya chain K and bent lever L. The compartment A has also a bottom M, slanting in the direction of the axis of the apparatus and above this and adjacent to the perforated bottom E a funnel N. The lower part of A is in communication with the laterally-projecting stone-chest 0, one side or wall of which is partly formed by the slide-valve A. The bottom of this stone-chest or box 0 is also slanting. The part A is likewise provided with a slide-valve Q and a manhole R. Attached to the funnel N is an inclined movable grating S. This lies in the same inclination with and forms acontinuation of the bottom of the stone-box O and can by means of the lever-arm T be raised to the edge of the funnel N. By means of this lever movement the slide U, on which the grating lies, maybe raised up so as to close the communication between the compartment 'A and the stone-chest 0 when the grating is raised.

In the vessel A and passing through the heads 13 and 0 there is a shaft Y of square scross-section which hasits bearings on these ends and at W in the interior, it'being understood, of course, that the shaft is cylindrical at these portions. Bearings at the head form stuffing-boxes through which the shaft passes. This shaft V is rotated by gearwheels driven from a counter-shaft, as clearly represented in Figs. land 2 of the drawings. In the compartment A there are on the shaft .V two-part iron hubs, muffs, or clam pingsleeves X,'(see Fig. 7,) the two longitudinallypart-ed halves of which are connected together by bolts w and nuts as, that also attach them firmly to the shaft V. These clamping sleeves or hubs, which are placed in a screw line, have four-sided projections e, in which are foursided holes, in which latter are inserted and fastened arms y, of four-sided cross-section.

The sleeves and arms are spirally arranged,

and the flat surfaces'of the arms are oblique to the plans of rotation. The stirring-arms reach nearly to the curved perforated bottom 5 E. In the compartment'A there are two sets of ejector-arms Z Z, which are also fast on the shaft V. There are four pairs in each set of these ejectors-i. e., eight pairs of all. Each consists of a straight flat piece of iron IOO f f (see Fig. 8) with bent inner end,,and of a bent flat piece of iron 9 g, having a bent outer end, the bent and the straight pieces being in such manner connected, as by means of bolts and nuts 2 2, that the fixing to the shaft is thereby assured. The four pairs of ejectors Z that lie together are at-an angle of ninety degrees on'th'e' shaft to the four ad jacent pairs Z lying together on the same shaft. In the compartment A there is in the upper part of the wall a delivery-orifice a for the washed roots or other products. The middle bearing W of the shafthas screw arrangement for its vertical adjustment. At the end B the shaft V bears keyed thereon outside; the compartment A a cam c, on which liesone end of the lever L. By the rotation of theshaft Vthe elevated. portion 0 of the cam c raisesthe lever, by which the chainK,. con-.. nected thereto, opens the valve j and holds it open until the cam lets the lever fall, upon 1 'W'hich'the valve by reason of its own weightv and the water-pressure thereon suddenly, fallsshut. A special conduitis also provided l for the introduction of the wash-water into the apparatus. 1 1 The operation of the apparatus is as follows After the apparatus has been vfilledwith water, the stirring device set in motion, and g waterfle't onto the bearings, the beets are continuously introduced at the end B. The arms 3; force the beetsinto the water, mixthem together, and rub them among and against leachhother, :so that the dirt which lies thereon is washed 0%. .At the same time I the stirring device carries the beets along toward the compartment A The dirt which has been washed'off passes out through'the perforated bottom E into the space I; By means of therotation of the stirring device; the valve j, asbeforeexplained, is raised -or' opened once in each rotation. Part of the" dirty water flows then through the opening H into the underlying channel or' conduit. By the suddenclosing of the valve 3' there is causedan agitation of the water in the space I .by which the latter is thoroughly mixed,

By :means of these continually-repeated.op- 3 the closing ,of the slide P the slide U is opened and the grating S again let down into place. The last remaining dirt and smaller foreign bodies fall through the grating S and collect in the chamber I I, from which they are emptied from time to time by the opening of the slide Q The beets or other roots are raised by the 'ejectors 'Z Z and fall in a clean condition out of the apparatus through .thedischarge-orifice a.

. I claim 1. An apparatus for Washing beet-roots and similar 7 articles and simultaneously removing therefrom the dirt and other foreign sub- "stances andthe-washed roots,consisting essentially of a receptacle A divided into two com- 'partments, A A both of whichare provided with inclined-bottoms-D M, compartment A lhavi n g a perforatedi curved bottom E and-on its end orhead a chamber-Gr incommunica- 'tion with the space I andhaving-a valve J and means for continually opening and closing {said valve, compartment A? having a funnel N'bearing a grating S and having a slanting 7 bottom M, also a stone-box O and slide-valve Q, and the entire apparatus provided with-a lengthwise horizontalshaft V on which there are spirallyrarranged the armsof a stirring devicew e Y, and ejector-arms Z z; f

2." Ina-n apparatus for washing beet-roots and similar articles thecombi'nationofacom partment provided with a perforated bottom for the free passage :of the finer particles of dirt, a dirt-collecting chamber beneathsaid A perforated bot-tom an outlet communicating with said dirt-collectin g chamber, a valve for controlling saidoutlet, said valve bei ng closed by the pressure of the water-thereon, :mecham ical means for automatically and intermittently opening said valve, a second compart- ;ment separate from but atall times :incommu-nication with said first-named compartment, mechanism contained within saidsecond compartment forseparatingl'stones and like heavier particles from the beet-rootsor otherarticles treated and means for-discharging the stones from the apparatus without withdrawingthe water therefrom. l

IIO

erations the water and the'dirt in the space I never-come to rest, and therefore the dirt can never settle. A further advantage of} this arrangement is that the necessary water a consumption is kept very small. The washed roots pass into the compartment A Here those materials, as stones, &c., which are heavier than the roots are separated therefrom. 'These stones, &c., fallon thegrating S and Ifrom this gotovthe stone-box O. From time totime the slide U and the thereon lying-grating S are raised by the lever arrangementT. This grating then lieson the edge of the funnel 1N. At the same time the slidefU. closes the stone-chest 0 from communication with the compartment A The stonecompartment or chamber 0 can then beempt-ied by opening the slide P without the waterin A being able to flow out. After 3. In an apparatus for washmgbeet-roots' and similara-rticles with-astirrin g deviee'contained' therein, the combination there-with of ejectors Z Z',one-half thereof beingarranged at ninety degrees to the other half onthe-shaft, each .ej ector consisting of two arms, each'arm consisting ofa straight flat iron piece f and a curved flat iron piece g, the-iron piece f being bent at one end, the iron pieceg'being bent at bothcnds for the connection of these two pieces together and to the shaftby bolts and nuts. a

4. In an'apparatus for washing beet-roots and similar-articles, the-combination therein with the compartment A for the purpose of separati-ngandremovalof the heavier foreign bodies,-of a stone-'boxOwith slide P and slan-ting bottom and of the inclined grating S, with said grating S and slide being adapted to be my inventionI have signed my name, in presraised by the lever-arm T against the margin ence of two Witnesses, this 13th day of May, of the funnel N, while the slide U closes the 1899.

stone-chest from connection with the com- LUDWIG HIRT. 5 partment A so as to empty the stone-chest Witnesses: without undue loss of water. HERNANDO DE SOTO,

In testimony that I claim 'the foregoing as CARL KNOOP. 

